Method of and machine for producing a continuous tobacco rod



March 1967 v HANS-ULRICH MEISSNER ETAL 3,307,560

I METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A CONTINUOUS TOBACCO ROD Filed Nov. 50, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 7

Ma 7, 1967 HANS-ULRICH MEISSNER ETAL 3,307,550

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A CONTINUOUS TOBACCO ROD Filed Nov. 50, 1961 4 Shets-Sheet 2 HANS-ULRICH MEISSNER ETAL 3,307,

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A CONTINUOUS TOBACCO ROD March 7, 1967 Filed Nov. 50, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.4b

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Fig.6b

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Fig.5 a

March 7, 1967 HANSULRICH MEISSNER ETAL METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A CONTINUOUS TOBACCO ROD Filed Nov. 30.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 15 Claims. (in. 131 21 The present invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of tobacco containing products, and more particularly to a method of and to a machine for producing a continuous wrapped tobacco rod, such as a cigarette rod.

It is one object of the invention to provide a method of and a machine for producing a continuous cigarette rod in which a continuous to bacco filler or stream moving endwise and containing excess tobacco is subjected simultaneously to the densifying action of a suction air current, to a physical compacting operation and to a trimming or equalizing operation in automatic response to the result of the measurement of the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the filler or of the completed continuous cigarette r-od.

In accordance with the method of the invention for producing a continuous cigarette rod, a continuously moving to'ba-cco filler is subjected to the densifying action of a transversely directed current of suction air and while this suction air is effective, the tobacco filler is mechanically compacted and immediately thereafter any excess tobacco is trimmed off the thus compacted tobacco filler.

The trimmed tobacco fill-er forms a tobacco rod which is then wrapped into a strip of cigarette paper or other wrapper material to form a continuously moving wrapped tobacco rod whereupon the quantity of tobacco in the wrapped tobacco rod is electrically measured and in accordance with the measured result the compacting and trimming-off actions are controlled and modified in such a manner that a wrapped tobacco rod is obtained which contains the desired predetermined quantity of tobacco per each unit length thereof within very close limits.

Another object of the invention is to add at a predetermined point of the endwise moving tobacco filler an additional amount of tobacco before the filler is subjected to the densifying action of the transversely directed current of suction air.

It is also an object of the invention to use excess tobacco which is trimmed off the tobacco filler as the additional amount of tobacco which is added at said predetermined point to said moving tobacco filler.

A still further and very important object of the invention is to provide a cigarette rod making machine comprising a tobacco distributor, a conveyor band below said tobacco distributor for receiving from the latter a layer of tobacco forming a filler, a rotary conveyor disc with a circumferential suction groove for receiving said filler from said conveyor band, a pivotally mounted driven roller adapted to engage and compress or compact said filler in said circumferential groove, a trimming or equalizing device for trimming excess tobacco from the filler after the filler is compressed by said roller, means for wrapping said trimmed filler into cigarette paper to form a cigarette rod, means for measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the cigarette rod, and means for controlling in accordance with the measured result simultaneously the operative position of the compacting roller and of said trimming device for obtaining a cigarette rod containing the desired quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof within very close limits.

With these and other objects in view the method and the machine of theinvention will now be described in ice more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a cigarette rod making machine;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of that portion of the machine which includes the pressing means and the trimming device;

FIGS. 3a to 6b illustrate the construction and operation in partial elevational and sectional views, of automatically controlled cams of the machine; and

FIG. 7 shows a wiring diagram of the control device.

Referring to FIG. 1, a tobacco distributor 1 is arranged at .a level below the cigarette rod 10 produced by the cigarette rod making machine of the invention. The tobacco distributor 1 deposits a shower of tobacco particles upon one end portion of the upper stretch of a horizontal endless tolhacco conveying b and 2. The tobacco filler or stream F formed on the band 2 moves endwise toward the other end portion of this band and is transferred into the lower portion of a suction groove 3a provided in a suction conveyor disc 3 which rotates in a vertical plane about the axis of a horizontal shaft 3b. Since the disc 3 rotates in a clockwise direction, the tobacco filler F entering the groove 3a is moved upwardly to the upper portion of the disc 3. The band 2 and the disc 3 together constitute a composite convey-or which advances the filler endwise in an elongated path.

The unevennesses of the surface of the tobacco filler in the circular groove 3a are removed by a trimming or equalizing device 4 consisting, for instance, of two cooperating star wheels and a circular knife. The trimmed-01f excess tobacco is transferred to the circumferential groove 5a of a circular disc 5 which is arranged next to the suction conveyor disc 3. The bottom of the groove 5a is provided with pins having sharp points. The tobacco in the groove 5a of the circular disc 5 is removed therefrom by a pin roller 5b or the like, which enters the groove 5a at the downwardly moving portion thereof. This pin roller 5b assisted by a suitable guide, showers loose tobacco particles upon the tobacco filler F which is advanced endwise by the conveyor band 2 moving toward the suction conveyor disc 3.

The tobacco filler F on the conveyor belt 2 when transferred to the circumferential groove 3a of the suction conveyor disc 3 is subjected to the mechanical compacting action of a pressing means, for instance a pressing or compacting roller 6, before the tobacco reaches the trimming device 4 which latter is arranged near the top portion of the disc 3 (see also FIG. 2). The roller 6 is rotatably mounted at one end of a hollow angle lever 7 and is driven at a speed which is substantially equal to the speed at which the tobacco filler is conveyed by the disc 3. The tobacco filler with excess tobacco is compacted uniformly by the roller 6 and, as already stated, is subjected to the equalizing action of the trimming device 4 which removes excess tobacco. The remaining tobacco filler which now forms a tobacco rod is then conducted from the uppermost portion of the disc 3 in a direction toward the right and onto a horizontal conveyor band 8, also called an endless forming band, upon which a strip of cigarette paper 9 is placed to receive the tobacco rod and the latter is encased by the cigarette paper band 9 to form a continuous cigarette rod 10.

The cigarette rod 10 passes through an electrically operated measuring means here shown as a test device 11 which transmits impulses through an amplifier 12 and to a control device 13 which latter is employed in accordance with the invention for controlling the adjust ment of the pressing roller '6 .and of the trimming device 4. For this purpose the control device 13 regulates an adjusting motor whose output shaft 14 has mounted thereon a cam 16 which is engaged by a roller 17 at the lower end of a vertical rod 18 which is urged downwardly under the bias of a spring. The rod 18 is slidably supported in a guide 19 attached to a cover wall 21 of the machine housing The upper end of the rod 18 is pivotally attached to the other end. of the angle lever 7, the vertex of which is pivotally supported on a sleeve 22 attached to the machine frame. The drive shaft 23 for the roller 6 extends through the sleeve 22. Transmission of rotative movement of the shaft 23 to the roller 6 is effected by gears which are mounted in the angle lever 7 and are not visible.

Another adjusting motor 25 which is also regulated by the control device 13 drives an adjusting shaft 24 to which a cam 26 is attached to cooperate with a roller 27 mounted at the lower end of a vertical spring biased rod 29 which is slidably supported in a guide 28. The guide 28 is attached to the housing 20. The upper end of the rod 29 is pivotally connected to the outer end of an arm 30 forming part of a two-armed lever 31 whose arm 32 engages the underside of an adjusting block 33 for the trimming device 4. The vertical rod 29 carries two limit switches 34 and 35 which are disposed at the opposite sides of a stop 36 which is attached to the housing 20.

A rotary brush 37 is arranged in advance of the pressing roller 6 for the purpose of eliminating gross irregularities in the exposed surface of the filler which advances in the groove 3a of the suction conveyor disc 3. The operating plane or that point on the circumference of the brush 37 which is nearest to the bottom wall of the groove 3a is spaced from this wall through a distance which is greater than the greatest distance between the trimming plane of the trimming device 4 and the bottom wall of the groove 3a.

For a more detailed description of the construction of the suction conveyor disc 3 and of its cooperation with the pointed pin carrying disc 5 attention is called to the co-pending patent application of Kurt Korber and Willy Richter, U.S. Serial No. 862,386, filed December 28, 1959, now Patent No. 3,261,364, issued July 19, 1966. The trimming device 4 may be constructed in a manner as disclosed in the co-pending application of Willy Richter and Werner Ringe, U.S. Serial No. 3,877, filed January 21, 1960, now abandoned,

FIG. 3a shows the cam 26 in a first angular position and the corresponding inner end position of the trimming device 4. The peripheral face of the cam 26 has a control range of 270 and is divided into three parts a, b and c of 90 each. The portion a of the face of the cam '26 is concentric to the axis of rotation of the cam; the circumferential portions b and c approach the axis of rotation gradually so that the roller 27 which engages the cam 26 will descend within these ranges b and 0, reference being had to the lower half of FIG. 3a. A downward movement of the roller 27 results in a corresponding movement of the trimming device 4 in a direction away from the groove 3a. The mechanical connection between the roller 27 and the trimming device 4 which includes the rod 29 is illustrated in FIG. 3a by a phantom line 40.

FIG. 3b shows the pressing roller 6 in its outer end position at a maximal distance from the bottom wall of the groove 3a and shows also the corresponding position of the cam 16. This cam 16 is similar to the cam 26 and has a peripheral face with a control range of 270 which is divided into three circumferential portions d, e and 9, each of which occupies an arc of 90. The circumferential portion d of the face of the cam 16 is ascending or, in other words, this circumferential portion extends gradually in a direction away from the axis of rotation of the shaft 14. The circumferential portion e in concentric with the shaft 14- and the circumferential portion is again ascending. When the roller 17 at the lower end of the rod 18 is moved away from the axis of the shaft 14, the pressing roller 6 is moved into the circumferential groove 3a of the conveyor disc 3. The control mechanism between the roller 17 and the pressing roller 6 which includes the rod 18 is illustrated in FIG. 3b by the phantom line 41.

FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate different positions of the cams 26 and 16, respectivly, namely such positions which are angularly displaced through 90 with reference to the positions of FIGS. 3:: and 3b.

In FIGS. 5a and 5b the earns 26 and 16 :are displaced through 180 with reference to the positions respectively shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b.

Finally, FIGS. 6a and 6b show a displacement of the cams 26 and 16 through 270 with respect to the positions shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b.

In all of these figures there are also illustrated the corresponding positions of the trimming device 4 and f the pressing roller 6. These figures will be described in more detail in connection with the operation of the machine.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the test device 11 which determines the .quantity of tobacco in the completed cigarette rod 10 is replaced. by a test device 11a which is shown in FIG. 1 in phantom lines and which is adjacent to the path of the tobacco filler on the endless conveyor 2 which has just received a layer of tobacco from the tobacco distributor 1. The test device 11a determines the quantity of tobacco in the tobacco stream on the band 2 and is arranged in advance of the point where excess tobacco trimmed off the tobacco filler by the trimming device 4 is deposited on top of the tobacco stream F on the band 2. As disclosed in the previously mentioned copending application Serial No. 862,386, trimmed off excess tobacco is conducted into the circumferential groove 5a of the circular disc 5 and is removed from this groove 5a by the rotary pin roller 5b arranged next to the downwardly moving portion of the circular disc 5. The tobacco removed from the groove 5a is distributed upon the tobacco stream F before the latter enters the suction groove 3a of the conveyor disc 3. The control of the trimming device 4 and of the pressing roller 6 is accomplished. in this particular arrangement of the testing device 11a in the same manner as described in connection with the test device 11.

FIG. 7 illustrates an electric wiring diagram and the individual parts of the device 13 which controls the adjusting motors 15 and 25.

Both testing devices 11 and 11a may be of any desired known construction. They may be constructed for instance in accordance with the disclosure of the copending patent application of Roberts and Sieb, U.S. Serial No. 832,617 filed August 13, 1959, now abandoned.

The control device 13 comprises a polarized relay having a switch lever 86 which, when at rest, assumes the central position illustrated in FIG. 7. To both sides of the switch lever 86 are arranged contact elements 87 and 88 the former of which is connected with one end of the winding of a control relay 89 and the latter of which is connected with one end of the winding of a control relay 90. The switch lever 86 is conductively connected with the supply line 91, while the other ends of the relay windings 89 and 90 are conductively connected With the supply line 92. The supply line 91 is also conductively connected with the contact elements 93 and 94 of the control relays 89 and 90, respectively. The outgoing contact elements 95 and 96 of these control relays 89 and 90 are conductively connected with the two windings 97 and 98 of the adjusting motor 15 whose common contact 99 is conductively connected with the supply line 92. The adjusting motor 25 is connected in parallel with the adjusting motor 15 and its two windings 97a and 98a are conductively connected with the contact elements 95 and 96 of the relays 89 and 90, respectively. Furthermore, the

common contact 99a is connected with the contact 99 which leads to the supply line 92.

Both adjusting motors 15 and 25 are single phase alternating current motors. The windings 97, 98 and 97a, 98a respectively are phase displaced with respect to each other through an angle of 90". Accordingly, the adjust ing motors 15 and 25 upon excitation of the windings 97 and 97a will rotate counterclockwise, while upon excitation of the windings 98, 98a these motors will rotate in a clockwise direction.

The operation of the control device is as follows: When the cigarette rod contains too much tobacco, the amplifier 12 supplies the control device 13 with a positive voltage which causes a movement of the switch lever 86 of the polarized relay 85 in a direction in which the contact element 88 is engaged by the lever 86 so that an excitation of the relay 90 takes place. The relay armature 90a connects the contact elements 94 and 96 with each other and causes the windings 98 and 98a of the motors 15 and 25 to be supplied with current.

Accordingly, armature shafts 14 and 24 of the motors 15 and 25 rotate in a clockwise direction until they have rotated the cams 16 and 26 into the positions shown in the FIGS. 3b and 3a, respectively. In these positions of the cams 16 and 26 the trimming device 4 has been moved to a position nearest to the bottom wall of the groove 3a while the pressing roller 6 has been moved to a position at a maximal distance from the bottom wall of this groove. The trimming device 4 therefore trims off all excess tobacco which projects beyond the upper edges of the side walls bounding the circumferential groove 3a of the conveyor disc 3. The pressing roller 6 does not press upon the tobacco or presses upon the tobacco only to a minor degree so' that the density of the tobacco filler which moves past the trimming device 4 is very small and accordingly, the cigarette rod in view of the prevailing tobacco supply will contain minimal quantities of tobacco per unit length. In such end positions, there are operated well known indicating devices or the machine performs certain control functions. FIG. 3a shows an extension 38 of an end abutment of the cam 26 which has just operated a switch 39.

The switch 39 when actuated may perform in a well known manner one of the following functions:

(1) It causes an indicating lamp to light up.

(2) It causes the gearing which regulates the tobacco supply in the tobacco distributor to be adjusted so that less tobacco is fed.

(3) It causes the entire machine to be disconnected from the supply line.

In all these three cases the rate of tobacco feed is reduced either automatically or manually by an operator. During such reduction of the rate of tobacco feed there will arrive a time when the test device 11 or 11a will measure a quantity of tobacco which is less than the desired predetermined quantity per unit length of the rod. The amplifier 12 will now supply the control device 13 with a negative voltage which energizes the polarized relay 85 in such a manner that the switch lever 86 will be brought into engagement with the contact element 87. This results in a closing of the circuit of the control relay 89 and the armature 90a of the latter will connect the contact elements 93 and 95 with each other. Accordingly, the supply line 91 will energize the motor windings 97 and 97a so that the shafts 14 and 24 of the motors 15 and 25 will rotate counterclockwise in the direction of the arrows 81 and 82 shown in the FIGS. 4b and 4a, respectively.

Upon rotation of the shaft 24 (FIG. 4a) through an angle of 90 in the direction of the arrow 82 the roller 27 rolls along the concentric circumferential portion a of the face of the cam 26 so that the trimming device 4 retains its position. However, according to FIG. 41:, during simultaneous rotary movement of the cam 16 in the direction of the arrow 81 the roller 17 will be raised by the circumferential portion d of the face of the cam 16 and the pressing roller 6 is being moved in the direction toward the bottom wall of the groove 3a, namely to a position which corresponds to the operating position when the cigarette rod will have an average weight (the desired weight). In case the measured quantity of tobacco per unit length of the cigarette rod is still too small, the earns 26 and 16 will be rotated to assume the positions shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b in response to a further rotation through another so that the total rotative movement will be The roller 27 rolls along the circumferential portion b of the face of the cam 26 and is being moved downwardly, so that now the trimming device 4 moves to an end position at a maximal distance from the bottom wall of the groove 3a. The position of the pressing roller 6, however, has not been changed because the roller 17 rolls along the concentric portion 2 of the face of the cam 16. If after such rotation of the shafts 24 and 14 through an angle of 180 the test device 11 or 11a, respectively, still indicates that the quantity of tobacco is too small, then the shafts 24 and 14 rotate the cams 26 and 16 through another 90 into the positions shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b so that now the shafts have rotated to the greatest possible extent, namely, through 270.

The roller 27 has been rolled along the concentric circumferential portion 0 of the face of the cam 26, but the trimming device 4 has retained its position. The roller 17 has rolled along the ascending portion e of the face of the cam 16 and therefore has been raised so that the pressing roller 6 has been moved to its end position at a minimal distance from the bottom wall of the groove 3a of the conveyor disc 3. Therefore, the trimming device 4 and the pressing roller 6 have reached in FIGS. 6a and 6b two end positions which they assume when the quantity of tobacco in the rod is too small.

In these end positions the extension 38a on the cam 16 has operated a switch 39a. The extension 38a corresponds to the extension 38 and the switch 39a corresponds to the switch 39 in FIG. 1. Accordingly, there will be actuated the indicating signals or the control or switching devices in a corresponding opposite direction.

The switches 39 and 39a indicated diagrammatically in FIGS. 3a and 6b illustrate another arrangement of the switching devices in the end positions of the control devices. These switches may be used in place of the limit switches 34 and 35 (FIG. 2). If they are provided in addition to these limit switches, then the switches 34 and 35 as previously described will be used to control the rate of tobacco feed and the switches 39 and 39a are used for arresting the machine when for any reason the control of the rate of tobacco feed does not operate properly.

What we claim is:

1. A method of producing a continuous tobacco rod, comprising the steps of forming a continuous tobacco filler which contains tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod; subjecting the filler to a mechanical compacting action to transform the same into a filler of constant density; subjecting the thus compacted filler of constant density to an equalizing action by trimming excess tobacco therefrom so as to obtain a tobacco rod; measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the tobacco rod; and adjusting the compacting and equalizing actions in accordance with the measured result to obtain a tobacco rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, said adjusting stepincluding reducing the compacting action and removing more tobacco when the quantity of tobacco in the tobacco rod exceeds said predetermined quantity, and increasing the compacting action and removing less tobacco when the quantity of tobacco in the tobacco rod is less than said predetermined quantity.

2. A method of producing a continuous tobacco rod, comprising the steps of forming a continuous tobacco filler which contains tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod and moving the filler lengthwise in an elongated path; subjecting the filler to a mechanical compacting action to transform the same into a filler of constant density; subjecting the thus compacted filler of constant density to an equalizing action by trimming excess tobacco therefrom to obtain a tobacco rod; measuring the quantity of tobacco in said path at a point other than intermediate the points where the filler is subjected to such compacting and equalizing actions; and adjusting the compacting and equalizing actions in accordance with the measured result to obtain a tobacco rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, said adjusting step including reducing the compacting action and removing more tobacco when the quantity of tobacco in the tobacco rod exceeds said predetermined quantity, and increasing the compacting action and removing less tobacco when the quantity of tobacco in the tobacco rod is less than said predetermined quantity.

3. A method of producing a continuous tobacco rod, comprising the steps of forming a continuous tobacco filler which contains tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod and moving the filler lengthwise in an elongated path; subjecting the tobacco filler to a densifying action by directing a current of air transversely of the filler along a predetermined zone of said path; subjecting the thus densified filler to a mechanical compacting action to transform the same into a filler of constant density; subjecting the thus compacted tobacco filler of constant density to an equalizing action by trimming excess tobacco therefrom to obtain a tobacco rod; measuring the quantity of tobacco at a point outside of said predetermined zone of said path; and adjusting the compacting and equalizing actions in accordance with the measured result to obtain a tobacco rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, said adjusting step including reducing the compacting action and removing more tobacco when the quantity of tobacco in the tobacco rod exceeds said predetermined quantity, and increasing the compacting action and removing less tobacco when the quantity of tobacco in the tobacco rod is less than said predetermined quantity.

4. A method of producing a continuous tobacco rod, comprising the steps of forming a continuous tobacco filler which contains tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod and moving the filler lengthwise in an elongated path; subjecting the filler to a mechanical compacting action to transform the same into a filler of constant density; subjecting the thus compacted filler of con stant density to an equalizing action by trimming excess tobacco therefrom to obtain a tobacco rod; measuring the quantity of tobacco in said path at a point other than intermediate the points where the filler is subjected to such compacting and equalizing actions; and adjusting the compact-ing and equalizing actions in accordance with the measured result to obtain a tobacco rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, said adjusting step including reducing the compacting action so that more tobacco will be removed in the equalizing step when the quantity of tobacco in the tobacco rod exceeds said predetermined quantity, and increasing the compacting action so that less tobacco will be removed in the equalizing step when the quantity of tobacco in the tobacco rod is less than said predetermined quantity.

5. In a tobacco manipulating machine, such as a cigarette rod making machine, in combination, means for forming a tobacco stream which contains tobacco in excess of a predetermined required quantity in the ultimate product and for advancing the stream lengthwise in an elongated path; a measuring device arranged to measure the quantity of tobacco per unit length of said path and to produce impulses indicative of the measured result; adjustable equalizing means arranged to trim excess tobacco from the stream so as to form a tobacco rod; adjustable mechanical pressing means arranged to compact the tobacco stream transversely to the direction of movement of the stream in said path and at a point closely adjacent to the point where excess tobacco is trimmed off by said equalizing means so as to transform said stream into -a tobacco stream of constant density; first adjusting means responsive to impulses produced by said measuring device to increase and reduce respectively the compacting action of said pressing means so as to increase and reduce respectively the density of the tobacco stream when the measured quantity is respectively below and above said predetermined quantity; and second adjusting means responsive to impulses produced by said measuring device to reduce and increase respectively the quantity of excess tobacco trimmed by said equalizing means so as to reduce and increase respectively the quantity of trimmed excess tobacco when the measured quantity is respectively be low and above said predetermined quantity.

6. Ina tobacco manipulating machine, such as a cigarette rod making machine, in combination, means for forming a tobacco stream which contains tobacco in excess of a predetermined required quantity in the ultimate product and for advancing the stream lengthwise in an elongated path; means for subjecting the tobacco stream to the densifying action of an air current in a direction substantially transversely of said path; a measuring device arranged to measure the quantity of tobacco per unit length of said path and to produce impulses indicative of the measured result; equalizing means arranged to trim excess tobacco from the stream so as to form a tobacco rod; mechanical pressing means arranged to compact the tobacco stream transversely to the direction of movement of the stream in said path and at a point closely adjacent to the point where excess tobacco is trimmed off by said equalizing means so as to transform said stream into a tobacco stream of contsant density; first adjusting means responsive to impulses produced by said measuring device to reduce and increase respectively the compacting action of said pressing means upon the tobacco stream in said path and to thereby reduce and increase respectively the density of the tobacco stream when the measured quantity is respectively below and above said predetermined quantity; and second adjusting means responsive to impulses produced by said measuring device to reduce and increase respectively the trimming action of said equalizing means upon the tobacco stream and to thereby reduce and increase respectively the quantity of excess tobacco trimmed oh" the tobacco stream when the measured quantity is respectively below and above said predetermined quantity.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 6, further comprising means for adding excess tobacco which is trimmed off by said equalizing means to the tobacco stream at a point upstream of that portion of the stream which is subjected to the densifying action of said air current.

8. A method of producing a continuous wrapped tobacco rod, comprising the steps of forming a continuous tobacco filler which contains tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod and moving the filler lengthwise; subjecting the filler to the densifying action of a transversely directed current of suction air and to a mechanical compacting action to form a filler of constant density; subjecting the thus densified and compacted filler of constant density to an equalizing action by removing excess tobacco to form a tobacco rod of constant cross section; wrapping the rod into a strip of wrapper material to form a wrapped tobacco rod; measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod; and adjusting the compacting and equalizing actions in accordance with the measured result to obtain a wrapped rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, said adjusting step including reducing the compacting action and removing more tobacco when the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod exceeds said predetermined quantity, and increasing the compacting action and removing less tobacco when the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod is less than said predetermined quantity.

9. A method of producing a continuous wrapped tobacco rod, comprising the steps of forming a continuous tobacco filler and moving the tiller in an elongated path; adding at a predetermined point of said path an additional quantity of tobacco so as to form a filler containing tobacco in excess of that required in the wrapped tobacco rod; passing through the filler a transversely directed current of suction air to densify the same and subjecting the filler to a mechanical compacting action to form a filler of constant density; subjecting the thus densified and compacted filler of constant density to an equalizing action by removing excess tobacco to form a tobacco rod of constant cross section; using such excess tobacco as the additional quantity of tobacco which is added at said predetermined point; wrapping the rod into a strip of wrapper material to form a wrapped tobacco rod; electrically measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod; and adjusting the compactingand equalizing actions in accordance with the measured result to obtain a wrapped tobacco rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, said adjusting step including reducing the compacting action and removing more tobacco when the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod exceeds said predetermined quantity, and increasing the compacting action and removing less tobacco when the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod is less than said predetermined quantity.

10. A method of producing a continuous wrapped tobacco rod, comprising the steps of forming a continuous tobacco filler which contains tobacco in excess of that required in the tobacco rod and moving the filler lengthwise; subjecting the filler to a mechanical compacting action to form a filler of constant density; subjecting the thus compacted filler of constant density to an equalizing action by removing excess tobacco to form a tobacco rod of constant cross section; wrapping the rod into a wrapper to form a wrapped tobacco rod; measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod; and adjusting the compacting and equalizing actions in accordance with the measured result to obtain a wrapped rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, said adjusting step including reducing the compacting action and removing more tobacco when the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod exceeds said predetermined quantity, and increasing the compacting action and removing less tobacco when the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod is less than said predetermined quantity.

11. A method of producing a continuous wrapped tobacco rod, comprising the steps of forming a continuous tobacco filler and moving the filler in an elongated path; adding at a predetermined point of said path an additional quantity of tobacco so as to form a filler containing tobacco in excess of that required in the Wrapped tobacco rod; passing through the filler a transversely directed current of suction air to densify the same and subjecting the filler to a mechanical compacting action to form a filler of constant density; immediately subjecting the thus densified and compacted filler of constant density to an equalizing action by removing excess tobacco to form a tobacco rod of constant cross section; using such excess tobacco as the additional quantity of tobacco which is added at said predetermined point; wrapping the rod into a strip of wrapper material to form a wrapped tobacco rod; measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod; and adjusting the compacting and equalizing actions in accordance with the measured result to obtain a wrapped tobacco rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, said adjusting step including reducing the compacting action and removing more tobacco when the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod exceeds said predetermined quantity, and increasing the compacting action and removing less tobacco when the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the wrapped rod is less than said predetermined quantity.

12. A cigarette rod making machine, comprising a tobacco distributor; a conveyor arranged to receive from said distributor a layer of tobacco which forms a filler and contains tobacco in excess of that required in the cigarette rod; a rotary suction disc having a circumferential groove for receiving the filler from said conveyor; a driven roller adjustable in directions toward and away from said groove and arranged to engage and to compact the fillerin said groove so as to transform said filler into a tobacco filler of constant density; a trimming device adjustable in directions toward and away from said groove and arranged to trim excess tobacco from the filler of constant density so as to form a tobacco rod; means for wrapping the tobacco rod into cigarette paper to form a cigarette rod; means for measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the cigarette rod; and means for simultaneously adjusting said roller and said trimming device in accordance with the measured result to obtain a cigarette rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, both said trimming device and said roller being controlled by said adjusting means in a sense to reduce differences between the measured quantity of tobacco per unit length of the cigarette rod and said predetermined quantity.

13. A cigarette rod making machine, comprising a tobacco distributor; a conveyor band located at a .level below and arranged to receive from said distributor a layer of tobacco which forms a filler and contains tobacco in excess of that required in the cigarette rod; a rotary suction conveyor disc having a circumferential groove for receiving the filler from said conveyor band; a pivotally mounted driven roller adjustable in directions toward and away from said groove and arranged to engage and to compact the filler in said groove so as to transform said filler into a tobacco filler of constant density; a trimming device adjustable in directions toward and away from said groove and arranged to trim excess tobacco from the filler of constant density so as to form a tobacco rod; means for adding such trimmed-off excess tobacco to the tobacco filler on said conveyor band; means for wrapping the tobacco rod into cigarette paper to form a cigarette rod; means for measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the cigarette rod; and means for simultaneously adjusting said roller and said trimming device in accordance with the measured result to obtain a cigarette rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, .both said roller and said trimming device being controlled by said adjusting means in a sense to reduce differences between the measured quantity of tobacco per unit length of cigarette rod and said predetermined quantity.

14. A cigarette rod making machine, comprising a tobacco distributor; a horizontal endless conveyor band having a first and a second portion, one of said portions being located at a level below and arranged to receive from said distributor a layerof tobacco which forms a filler and contains tobacco in excess of that required in the cigarette rod; a rotary circular suction conveyor disc having a horizontal axis of rotation and comprising an upper portion and a lower portion with the latter located at a level above the other portion of said band, said disc further having a circumferential groove into which the filler is transferred by the suction effective in said groove above the other portion of said band; a pivotally mounted lever comprising a driven roller arranged to compact the tobacco filler in said groove at a point intermediate the upper and lower portions of said disc so as to transform the filler into a tobacco filler of constant density, said lever being adjustable to move said roller toward and away from said groove; a trimming device located between said driven roller and the upper portion of said disc for trimming excess tobacco from the filler of constant density so as to form a tobacco rod, said trimming device being adjustable in directions toward and away from said groove; means for horizontally conveying the tobacco rod away from the upper portion of said disc and for wrapping the rod into a strip of cigarette paper to form a continuously moving cigarette rod; means for electrically measuring the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the cigarette rod; and means for simultaneously adjusting said lever and said trimming device in accordance with the measured result to obtain a cigarette rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, both said lever and said trimming device being controlled by said adjusting means in a sense to reduce differences between the measured quantity of tobacco per unit length of the cigarette rod and said predetermined quantity.

15. A cigarette rod making machine, comprising a tobacco distributor; a horizontal endless conveyor band having a first and a second portion, one of said portions being located at a level below and arranged to receive from said distributor a layer of tobacco which forms a filler and contains tobacco in excess of that required in the cigarette rod; a rotary circular suction conveyor disc having a horizontal axis of rotation and comprising an upper portion and a lower portion with the latter located at a level above the other portion of said band, said disc further having a circumferential groove into which the filler is transferred by the suction effective in said groove above the other portion of said band; a pivotally mounted lever comprising a driven roller arranged to compact the tobacco filler in said groove at a point intermediate the upper and lower portions of said disc so as to transform said filler into a tobacco filler of constant density, said lever being adjustable to move said roller toward and away from said groove; a trimming device located between said driven roller and the upper portion of said disc for trimming excess tobacco from the filler of constant density so as to form a tobacco rod, said trimming device being adjustable in directions toward and away from said groove; means for addingsuch trimmed-off excess tobacco to the tobacco layer on said band; means for horizontally conveying the tobacco rod away from the upper portion of said disc and for wrapping the rod into a strip of cigarette paper to form a continuously moving cigarette rod; means for electrically measuring the quantity of tobacco .per unit length of the cigarette rod; and means for simultaneously adjusting said lever and said trimming device in accordance with the measured result to obtain a cigarette rod containing a predetermined quantity of tobacco per unit length thereof, both said lever and said trimming device being controlled by said adjusting means in a sense to reduce difierences between the measured quantity of tobacco per unit length of the cigarette rod and said predetermined quantity.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 231,947 9/1880 Allison. 1,721,557 7/1929 Hawkins 131-84 1,808,795 6/ 1931 Stelzer 13 184 2,163,415 6/ 1939 Stephano 13121 2,660,177 11/1953 Rault 131-84 2,660,178 11/1953 Rault 13184 2,815,759 12/1957 Molins 131-21 2,861,683 11/1958 Gilman 131--21 2,938,521 5/1960 Lanore 131-21 3,052,242 9/ 1962 Levadi 13121 3,089,497 5/1963 Molins et al. 131--21 FOREIGN PATENTS 218,648 11/ 1958 Australia. 1,248,179 10/1960 France.

813,576 5/1959 Great Britain.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner. JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING A CONTINUOUS TOBACCO ROD, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FORMING A CONTINUOUS TOBACCO FILLER WHICH CONTAINS TOBACCO IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED IN THE TOBACCO ROD; SUBJECTING THE FILLER TO A MECHANICAL COMPACTING ACTION TO TRANSFORM THE SAME INTO A FILLER OF CONSTANT DENSITY; SUBJECTING THE THUS COMPACTED FILLER FOR CONSTANT DENSITY TO AN EQUILIZING ACTION BY TRIMMING EXCESS TOBACCO THEREFROM SO AS TO OBTAIN A TOBACCO ROD; MEASURING THE QUANTITY OF TOBACCO PER UNIT LENGTH OF THE TOBACCO ROD; AND ADJUSTING THE COMPACTING AND EQUILIZING ACTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEASURED RESULT TO OBTAIN A TOBACCO ROD CONTAINING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF TOBACCO PER UNIT LENGTH THEREOF, SAID ADJUSTING STEP INCLUDING REDUCING THE COMPACTING ACTION AND REMOVING MORE TOBACCO WHEN THE QUANTITY OF TOBACCO IN THE TOBACCO ROD EXCEEDS SAID PREDETERMINED QUANTITY, AND INCREASING THE COMPACTING ACTION AND REMOVING LESS TOBACCO WHEN THE QUANTITY OF TOBACCO IN THE TOBACCO ROD IS LESS THAN SAID PREDETERMINED QUANTITY. 